Northern Script 2023 Alumni workshops in Iceland were held between 2nd & 23rd of September. The workshop mentor was Kolbrún Anna Björnsdóttir an Icelandic actress and scriptwriter from Reykjavik.
THE WORKSHOPS IN FOUR SESSIONS
The Icelandic workshops were conducted in four sessions, the first four Saturdays in September. Each session was two hours long. There were seven participants, but two of them had to miss some of the sessions due to a filming commitment, so five scripts were worked on and handed in for the competition.
Each participant brought their own script to work on during the workshop. The workshop was a lecture/conversation based learning experience, with the group participating all the time, although the focus was on one script at a time, thus creating a basis for all participants to benefit from communal problem solving and brainstorming, under the guidance and leadership of the teacher.
The last session of the four, was divided between the participants so they received one-on-one tutorage on their individual scripts, focused on their individual needs. The emphasis for the workshop was on finding a strong theme, or thesis, for the script and looking at how that theme informs the structure, story, characters and each scene.
FEEDBACK FROM THE WORKSHOPS
The five scripts benefited from the workshop and the final versions made both participants and teacher proud. The themes became clear, the main character‘s journey or arc were formed through the theme, and each scene was shaped by the need to convey a clear story.
BIOGRAPHY – KOLBRÚN ANNA BJÖRNSDÓTTIR
Kolbrún Anna is an Icelandic actress and scriptwriter, working both on stage and screen since her graduation from the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. Kolbrún Anna co-founded and ran two independent theatre companies: Theatre of the Republic and Ekka Dance Theatre, the latter pioneering in dance theatre in Iceland.
Kolbrún Anna has been working as a teacher in addition to her work as an artist and is currently the Head of Acting and Movement at the Icelandic Film School. She is also a published author of children’s fiction and educational materials. Kolbrún Anna recently wrote and acted in the 8-part TV-drama FRACTURES, airing in 2022, based on her original idea. The series was co-written with Vala Thorsdottir and co-created with Vala Thorsdottir and Eva Sigurdardottir.